A Name Unknown (July 4, 2017) by Roseanna M. White.*
She is a former
street urchin; he is friends with the king. She is a professional thief with a
large family-of-sorts. He is a solitary, mostly antisocial sort (due to
self-consciousness of his stutter) who spends much of his time click-clacking
away at a typewriter. Rosemary Gresham leaves the familiarity of London in 1914
to become a librarian to Peter Holstein in southwest Cornwall. The thing is,
she knows nothing about being a librarian and to her family, it is comical that
she should have to play at one. But Mr. V has sent Rosemary to become just
that. For her and her family, it’s a substantial amount of money, but she is
supposed to find hard evidence that Peter is against the Crown because of his
German surname and lineage. How can she do that when the evidence points to his
goodness? How can she do that when she realizes she cares for him?
In this first book in White’s Shadows Over England series, this
inspirational, historical fiction novel is as charming as a picturesque cottage
on a clear, sunny day, but with a sheen of suspicion lurking around the bend by
those who would cast aspersions on Peter. It is crafty and witty, and I very
much enjoyed the story. The characters are well-developed and each distinct,
including the supporting characters. I appreciated that Peter, for all the
usual good-looking attributes we get so used to reading about in stories, has
something which he is obviously self-conscious about, though he doesn’t let
that stall his faith. I look forward to continuing this series and getting to
know better Rosemary’s family. After all, surely Mr. V has more in store for
them …
Extra: My favorite passage is
heralded on p. 152 when Peter is recalling words of his father. “All a man has is
his name, son. The reputation we make with it. Whether it brings a smile or a
frown, love or fear to those who hear it. All a man has is his name – that’s
who he is before the Almighty.”
